Our pediatrician recently said that it is the job of two and three-year-olds to test and push your buttons. We have had to get much tougher with her lately, and she has had several nights of going to bed without stories and having her toys and other privileges temporarily taken away.

I think for us, as I am sure it is with most other parents, it is a shock seeing what this precious little girl is now capable of. Boys are stressful because of their energy and ability to almost kill themselves with each adventure. But with little girls, well, they are just smart and they know how to press your buttons.

I think the conflict is also amplified more between a mother and daughter.